Prayer for the Day

by Revd Canon David White

15th February 2026 - Sunday next before Lent

Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings
with thy most gracious favour,
and further us with thy continual help.
That in all our works, begun, continued
and ended in thee,
we may glorify thy holy name
and finally, by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

With Ash Wednesday (on 18th February) being less than a week away, this prayer is very suitable both as a preparation for, and to use during, Lent. Anyone who has sung in a choir or been in a vestry just before a service may have heard it rattled off the tongue of the officiating priest or minister as the show gets under way. It is an ancient prayer and can be found in a book of prayers dating from the eighth century. It was later included in the Book of Common Prayer where it occurs several times.

The first word, ‘prevent’ is not used in the prayer as it is in modern usage where it means to stop or avoid. Here it means ‘go before’. Some modern versions start the prayer, ‘Direct us, O Lord’ or ‘Go before us, O Lord’. Whichever version is used it is good to know that God is present in a given situation with his ‘gracious favour’ even before we get there. But at the heart of the prayer lies the stress on continuity and perseverance two ideas that, in turn, lie at the heart of our faith. Then, if we still fall short, we can rely on God’s mercy, for his love and undisputed goodness will not let us down. Wishing you a good and holy Lent.